We’re going to look at a second story from the Bible this week, this one about Jesus in Luke 9:57-60

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

59 He said to another man, “Follow me.”

But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Just like yesterday’s story, this is a tough one to interpret, since we probably didn’t expect this kind of response from Jesus.  It sounds to us like the man’s father just died, and Jesus says he can’t mourn.  He comes across as cold and even cruel, but mostly because we lack cultural understanding. There are again two possibilities for why he responds this way:

One option: The man’s father is actually dead, sometime in the recent past.  He’s been put in a very hot middle eastern tomb.  The son wants to wait up to a year, so he can go and place his father’s bones in a bone box, an ossuary, for secondary burial in a family tomb.  This would have been a very important duty for a Jewish son, but Jesus says it’s not as important as God’s kingdom.

Another option: This is a stall tactic.  The man’s father is not dead.  The son wants to wait until his father dies and leaves him the inheritance.  He only wants to follow Jesus when there will be no financial risk.

Following Jesus looks different today – it’s not as simple as joining his entourage on a dusty road.  It changes us in many other ways, and we’re going to explore lots of those changes in the next few weeks.

Either way, we’ll be tempted to delay.  We’ll want to put off financial changes until we retire, service changes until we have more time, and so on.  But Jesus’ response to this man should inform us that Jesus needs to be first in our daytimer.

Question: What aspect of following Jesus are you tempted to put off?

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - December 18, 2013

Wednesday - Change It - The Night That Changed the Poor

The Night that Changed Everything

Today, the poor are often excluded from active participation in society’s big events. We lookd at one example from the Olympics already, but there was also a recent study that hits a bit closer to come. Regular commuting to work negatively affects civic engagement, unless you have a certain threshold of income. http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2013/11/your-long-commute-sapping-your-will-care-about-politics/7652/ I once did a survey where we asked, “Why don’t people go to church?” One woman told me, “I can't come to church because i haven't got enough money.” It broke my heart – no one should ever think church, a Christian community of learners, has tuition fees. But she did, and was excluded as a result! The story of Christmas shows the poor in key roles, not just Mary and Joseph, but some shepherds: 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (Luke 2:8-20) These shepherds were not the farmers we envision today. These shepherds spent 24/7 with their sheep, even sleeping outside. This was physical, taxing, nomadic work. Yet they play a key role – they are the first outsiders to acknowledge who he is. They are the first to provide third party Confirmation for Mary and Joseph – this was no strange dream – this was really happening. Then they are the first to tell the story to others. We all have a role to play in God's plan, story, and our bank balance is no barrier. Our worldly skills are no barrier. Our history is no barrier. There is a barrier, but God has dealt with it, as we’ll see tomorrow. Question: Why might God choose poor or financially precarious people for such key roles in his story? What does it communciate? How would the story be different if God had chosen wealthy parents and visitors? Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community - so check out today's reading here.

Related Topics: Christmas, Poor, Poverty, Shepherds | More Messages from Ryan Sim | Download Audio

From Series: "The Night that Changed Everything"

In preparation for Christmas, our Daily Challenges are going to explore the lifechanging significance of Jesus' birth so long ago. It's more than a sentimental story, or a time for generosity, Christmas celebrates The Night that Changed Everything. We'll explore the original Christmas story from the Bible, and its impact on five kinds of people.

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